The Tigress and The Tortoise
by hallescomet97
Summary: An Eraman approved one-shot series based on her LBW/BBW Universe, with some stories prompted by/co-written with Eraman herself. Justine and Bastian have always had a "Love-Hate" relationship, with most of what we see being the "Hate". In this series, we see more of the "Love" in their relationship, showing them as friends, Warbler brother and sister, the Tigress and the Tortoise
1. Chair Be Damned

**Hey y'all! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Sorry I've been gone so long. College is hectic and my writing bug has been buzzing around new projects while refusing to pollenate updates of older pieces. Hopefully I will be able to get something out to you all soon.**

 **THIS is a project I've been working on for a LONG time and am just now getting around to posting. Eraman, my sister from across the seas, has given me permission to write with her characters as long as I credit them as hers. So that is what I am doing here. Unless otherwise stated, ALL characters that appear in these one-shots are Eraman's babies. If you haven't read her stuff yet, go do it! SHE IS AMAZING!**

 **Also, I will warn you that these stories are NOT going to be in chronological order. I am uploading them as I finish them based on the prompts I have, so there will be stories that come later in the series that will be set earlier in the actual timeline of the universe. However, to avoid confusion, I will try to always mark where in the timeline of Eraman's universe these one-shots would land, and make note of any AU edit stuff that may apply.**

 **And now, without further ado, our first installment! This piece takes place in the LBW storyline sometime between "Pardon My French" and "The Wedding" and was prompted by the author herself:**

 **Eraman Prompt idea: Bastian is upset about being in a wheelchair. He doesn't feel handsome and feels like a hindrance for their night out. Justine gets him to think something else.**

* * *

The club was full of life. The music wasn't deafening, but it was loud enough that you could hear it over the laughing and talking of the people inside. Everyone was dancing and drinking and having a grand old time. Everyone was happy. Everyone, that is, except Bastian Nolan. He sat sadly at the table the warblers had claimed, slowly sipping down his second beer of the night.

Usually he'd love this place. He'd be flirting with every cute guy in sight, seeing how many numbers he could score before Justine told him to cut it the heck out and dragged him onto the dance floor to show the drunken two-left-footed morons in this place who was king. He'd laugh as Nathan went jealous hulk on every guy who dared to eye up HIS Mitch the wrong way, while the boy in question got progressively redder in embarrassment with each minute. He'd have challenged Austin to beer pong, letting him win so the younger man could look good in front of Justine and so Bastian had an excuse to drink more beer than he'd otherwise have been allowed. He'd have been the life of the party.

But he wasn't. He might never be again. And it was all because of the steel deathtrap he sat in. His wheelchair was a total buzzkill. He didn't feel like himself in it. He wasn't the sexy heartbreaker he usually was. Who would wanna be hit on by a guy in a wheelchair? He'd tried on his own when he first got out of the hospital. The first guy had laughed at him, the second had looked at him with disgust, and the third had treated him like a child. He'd given up after that, his ego totally shot. No man was going to want him when he was like this. He couldn't even dance with his friends. The dance floor was too crowded to fit his wheelchair, and even if it wasn't, what was he supposed to do? Roll back and forth in a line? He knew how to do some tricks, but the last time he'd tried to do them, he'd almost tipped himself over. Ya, he was not about to risk a repeat of THAT in front of strangers.

He sipped at his Coors Light, watching the rest of his friends have fun without him. He felt like deadweight. He was dragging down their night out. He hadn't wanted to come tonight, but Gidiaz had forced him along. Now he was just waiting until he could go home and end this torture.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Justine giving him the same, 'cut it out NOW' look she did when he was flirting for numbers. He smirked sadly, glad something was staying the same. He cocked his head, "Why hello my tempting tigress. What have I done to put such an ugly glare on such a beautiful face?"

Justine rolled her eyes and plopped down in the seat next to him, "I can smell the self-deprecating bullshit wafting off you all the way on the dance floor. Quit with this pathetic pity party for one you're throwing yourself and get back to being the annoying pain in the ass Bastian we all know and tolerate."

Bastian sighed. "I knew it. I'm killing your night out. Listen Justine, if you want me to go, I can get a cab..."

"No!" Justine groaned, "God! You are completely missing what I'm saying. I don't wanna get you out of this club, I wanna get you out of your head! I don't want you to go home, I want you to go back to being the exasperating goofball who makes these nights interesting! It's BORING without you Bas! Without you, I've got no one to chase around the bar and foil flirting attempts for. There's no one to mortify my poor Mitchie by pointing out to a jealous Nathan EVERY GUY who shows even the slightest interest in him! There's no one to make my Austin look impressive by letting him win at beer pong...don't try to deny it! Not even drunk does your aim go THAT far to crap! I am tired of looking over and seeing you sulking in the corner, drinking cheap crappy beer, watching the rest of us try to have fun without you! I want the old Bastian back and I want him back NOW!"

Bastian was speechless. Sure, he knew Justine didn't actually hate him as much as she pretended to. He always enjoyed their little love-hate games, and he knew Justine did too. But she had just ADMITTED she missed him and that she liked him getting on her last nerve! This was a horse of a different color. It was a sort of unspoken rule between them that those feelings remain...well, unspoken! Bastian was stuck on how to react. He was only jolted from his shocked state when Justine stood, grabbed the handles on his wheelchair, and rolled him away from the table.

"Woah!" Bas yelped, "What the...JUSTINE! What are you doing?!"

"Taking action." Justine said firmly, "Words are OBVIOUSLY not making my point, so I'm going to show you that you can do all the shit you usually do, chair be damned! I'm gonna prove you are the same drink guzzling, dick magnet, dance king you've always been and always will be!"

Bastian took a minute to process what Justine had just said. When he did, a genuine grinned spread across his face. "Did you just refer to me as a 'dick magnet'?" He chuckled.

Justine rolled her eyes, but smiled, "Yes, though if you try to tell another living soul, I will deny it. I'll say that you were stupid drunk and heard me wrong."

Bastian laughed, "My lips are sealed. So, what's first on your list of things to make me do?"

Justine smirked evilly, "We shall start with that which is easiest to accomplish: pointing out all the persistent little shits who have been eyeing up our poor precious Mitch to the sweet oblivious Nathan!"

Bastian shook his head, "Maybe not ALL of them. I've been watching for a while and if we tell Nathan about all of them, we might end up getting thrown out for starting a mass bar brawl!"

Justine blinked, "THAT many?! Wow...I warned Mitch about those skinny jeans..."

Bastian laughed, "Well, maybe I'm exaggerating...or maybe some of them were looking at YOU."

Justine whacked him, "Oh shut up and let's go raise hell!"

Bastian smirked, "My lady, NOW you speak my language! ONWARD TO MISCHIEF!"

Justine rolled her eyes and pushed Bastian over to Nathan, who was dancing happily with Mitch.

Mitch saw them and glared. 'Don't you DARE!' his eyes seemed to scream. He pulled Nathan farther onto the dance floor, out of Bastian's reach.

Bastian put on his breaks and sighed, "I can't do it Justine. He pulled him too far out. If I try to talk to him now, I'm gonna cause an accident. The chair will get tipped, someone will get tripped, and we will all get throw out and sued faster than 'oops'."

Justine bit her lip and looked to Mitch. She caught her best friend's eye and sent him a pleading look. Bastian NEEDED this to get him out of his funk.

Mitch frowned, looking to Bastian. Shit! The guy looked like a kicked puppy. How could Mitch NOT do something to cheer him up?! With a sigh and a look that said, 'You owe me MAJORLY for this!', he spun Nathan around and pushed him forward, "Hey! I think Bastian wanted to talk to you!"

Nathan looked around, confused, until his eyes landed on the now smirking Bastian. He nodded and went over. "Hey Bas! What's up?"

"Oh, a LOT of things." Bastian purred, "From my little table in the corner, I've spotted more than a few guys eyeing up your boyfriend...causing other parts of them to go up...if you know what I mean..."

Nathan's eyes darkened dangerously. "Show me where!" He growled.

For the next 10 minutes, Bastian pointed out to Nathan each of the men he was SURE had been taking a shining to Mitch, watching as they then took a shining FROM Nate, walking away with bruised prides and a few bruised bodies to go with it. The rest had been decided to have only been casually glancing at the smaller young man, or had been eyeing up Justine.

After Nathan had gone back to happily dancing with the now THROUGHLY mortified Mitch, Justine and Bastian moved on.

"So," Bastian chirped, significantly happier than earlier, "What is next on your agenda?"

"The next easiest thing." Justine smiled brightly, "We are going to go number hunting."

Bastian felt his stomach drop. "Um...can we maybe skip that one?"

Justine was confused, "But you love flirting up the bar!"

"I do," Bastian squirmed, "It's just...well...it might not be as simple as you think..."

Justine saw the look in Bastain's eyes and got a pretty good impression of what had happened. She felt her chest tighten and her blood boil. "Someone said something, didn't they?" She growled out, her voice that slipping slightly into Justin mode "Who was it, where are they, and how hard should a knee them in the gonads?"

Bastian smiled sadly, touched that Justine was jumping so immediately to his defense, "Put the claws away tigress. They're not here. Malcolm and I went out for dinner together after I got released from the hospital. While we were waiting for our food, Malcolm was doing his homework or something at the table, so I went to the bar to try to score some numbers. It was three strikes, you're out. First guy laughed in my face as if me hitting on him was a comedy act. Second one scanned me over with the same look of utter disgust you give all us warblers when you see us in ratty jeans and t-shirts. Third treated me like I was some sort of infant or invalid, being ridiculously condescending. After that my ego was basically slaughtered, so I just went back to the table and tried to help Malcolm with his work until our food came."

Justine was horrified. How could someone be so awful to Bastian? Sure, he could be annoying at times and come off as sort of a playboy, but he was such a sweetheart at his core. Being a charmer was a part of who he was! Without that, he wasn't the Bastian she knew anymore, and there was NO WAY Justine was going to take that sitting down! She was gonna get the elder Nolan's smooth-talker mojo back if it was the LAST thing she did!

Determined, she pushed Bastian's chair forward, "Follow my lead, and take the reigns when you feel ready, alright?"

Bastian nodded, knowing better than to argue when Justine had THAT look in her eyes. She was a woman with a plan, and lord help anyone who got in the way of her mission!

Justine spotted a group of five or so guys in the corner who looked like the perfect targets. She wheeled Bastian over to them and then plopped down in his lap. "Hello boys!" She smiled, "Mind if my friend and I join you?"

The men looked up, and Bastian fought the urge to roll away as their eyes scanned him and Justine over. Justine, seemingly sensing this, took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The silence was broken by one of the guys, whom had obviously passed the point of 'stupid drunk' a long time ago. "Wha' the fu' happen to 'im?" He slurred out, his hand making a sloppy, vague gesture towards Bastian...and more specifically, his wheelchair.

Bastian felt himself blush in embarrassment, even as some other guys at the table slapped their loose lipped friend and tried to apologize for him. He perked up, however, when Justine's short lived glare at the man morphed into a sickening sweet smile and she spoke in the same sweet and spicy voice she used to tease and put down little shits at the Lima Bean back in their Dalton days

"If you think he looks rough, you should've seen the other guys." She crooned out, "Or better yet, I have a mirror you could borrow. Then you'd be able to see what a real train wreck looks like."

Bastian tried not to laugh at the dumbstruck look on the drunk man's face, and the faces the other men were making as THEY tried not to crack up. He grinned and rubbed Justine's shoulders like a prize fighting champ, "Play nice, princess. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"I will if they do." Justine purred, "Damn...Austin wasn't kidding about you being good with your hands."

Bastian HAD to laugh at that one. It was OBVIOUS to anyone who knew them that Justine playing up the pleasure at Bastian's mini back rub to try to draw the guys at the table in. She was a talented actress and a clever wing woman, as it was obviously working if the looks the men at the table were giving him were any indication.

"Tone it down, would you tigress?" He whispered in her ear, "We don't wanna give these guys the wrong idea about our relationship...or give your poor fiancee a stroke if he looks over at us...and GOD KNOWS what the other warblers would think if they saw us!"

Justine giggled and pushed Bastian's hands off her shoulders. Maybe she'd gone overboard, but it was worth it to see the flirtatious glint back in Bastian's eyes and hear the confidence back in his voice. She slipped off Bastian's lap.

"Whoever gets you is gonna be a LUCKY MAN, Mr. Nolan!" Justine grinned, before sighing in a mellow dramatic and obviously fake way, and flashing her engagement ring for all to see, "Too bad I'm a taken woman!" She tried and failed to keep a straight face after that, bursting out laughing a few second later, "That and it would be like dating my BROTHER, so...ew. No." She smiled and kissed Bastian on the forehead softly, "I'm gonna go grab us some drinks. You boys don't get TOO wild while I'm gone, ok?"

Bastian smirked, "I shall make no promises..."

Justine grinned and winked at him before she walked of towards the bar, mouthing "Knock 'em dead Nolan!" for only Bastian to see. She watched from a distance at the bar for a bit, but as it appeared to be going well, she turned her attention to buying drinks for her and Bastian, and then checking on Austin, who was happily dancing with Joseph. When she returned to the table, Bastian was alone, but he had a hand full of paper scraps and a ridiculously satisfied look on his face.

Justine chuckled, placing the 'Sex on the Beach' she'd bought for Bastian down in front of him before sitting across from him and sipping on her own margarita. "So...how many numbers did you score?"

Bastian snorted at the none to subtle innuendo Justine was making with the drink she'd bought him. He was more of a beer man, but was not going to turn down a free drink when offered. He sipped on his drink for a minute or two before flashing Justine a triumphant smirk. "Seventeen" He boasted.

Justine almost did a spit take in surprise, gagging as she swallowed a mouthful of straight salt off the rim of her glass. "WHAT?!" She choked out, "How is that even possible? There couldn't have been more than seven guys at the table...and that's counting the drunken dumb-ass who was likely too inebriated to spell out his own name! Even if all of them were gay, there is no way you could swing SEVENTEEN numbers!"

Bastian cackled, "Three of the seven were straight, actually. But all three wanted to try and set me up with some gay friends of theirs who weren't here tonight. I was given the number of the filterless drunk by one of the more sober compatriots, and assured that he is much more polite when he's not absolutely plastered. So, out of the seven men, I scored ten numbers. After they left, a group of girls approached me. They saw me rubbing your shoulders earlier and heard your...rather suggestive commentary, and asked if I'd do the same for them sometime. They each gave me their numbers before I could explain that my door swings out, not in. Thus, while I have no intention of ever using them, I scored four more numbers. After THEY left, I noticed a guy staring at me. At first, I thought he was staring at the chair, which made me uncomfortable to say the least, but then I realized his eyes were a bit higher and remembered that my hair color isn't exactly something naturally found on earth. So, I asked if he was wondering if the carpet matched the drapes, and he cracked up. He wrote his number on a napkin and gave it to me, saying he'd LOVE to find out sometime. This brought my total to fifteen. THAT was the end of the numbers that were for meant for me. However, shortly before your return, two guys who clearly either didn't hear you say you were taken or didn't care came over, handed me their numbers, and told me to 'pass them along to that sweet piece of ass you had in your lap earlier if she comes back'. Since I doubt you will be leaving our darling Mr. Diaz for two sweaty behemoths from a bar who didn't even have the balls to give you their numbers themselves, I have taken the liberty of claiming those numbers for myself and intend on sending them each explicit pictures of dicks and dog dung to be sure they never make such a mistake again. It will also insure they will be leaving you and Austin very well alone should you ever have the misfortune of seeing them again, as I am the only one allowed to raise hell between you two. Thus, I have claimed seventeen numbers."

Justine gaped in shock before bursting out laughing and applauding. "Nicely done Nolan! SEE?! I told you this would be easy! You're still the same cock-chasing casanova you always were, chair be damned! Glad you finally got your mojo back!"

Bastian nodded to the praise and raised his cup in a silent toast. Justine followed suite and they clink glasses. They sat in silence, sipping their drinks and enjoying the buzz of the club. They watched as their friends danced, laughing as some poor sap made the mistake of trying to get between Nathan and Mitch. This time, however, it was NATHAN who was getting flirted with, and MITCH playing the role of the jealous boyfriend. Despite his size, the smaller man was VICIOUS, and the would-be wooer ended up practically crawling from the dance floor, cradling his injured junk and begging someone to get him some ice.

Bastian shook his head and finished off his drink. He winked at Justine, who was still slowly siping on her own drink. "So, my dear," He crooned, "what will you drag me off to do next?"

"Beer pong." Justine giggled, "Remind me why you haven't done that yet?"

Bastian blushed bright red, "Well...I can't exactly stand up...and sitting in my chair, I'm too short to reach the table. Plus, I don't wanna get so wasted I can't steer my chair. Don't drink and drive, you know?"

Justine smiled, "That's it? Oh Bastian! That's easy! We'll just make the table lower, or help you up onto a higher chair to reach. And, if by some miracle you get THAT drunk playing beer pong, you have me and the rest of the warblers here to be your designated drivers."

Bastian blinked, "That...actually sounds simple. How did I not think of that?"

"Because you were too busy wallowing in self pity to pull your head out of your ass and look for solutions to your problems." Justine shrugged, finishing off her drink. "But enough about your shortcomings. We gonna play some pong or what?"

Bastian rolled his eyes and unlocked his breaks. "Fetch your fine ass fiancee and I will track down a table to suit our purposes."

Justine bit her tongue to keep from snapping at Bastian to keep his hands off her fiancee's fine ass. She KNEW he was baiting her, and this time she was NOT going to rise to take it. Instead, she got up and went to fetch Austin. She found him in the center of a circle of people, where he and Joseph were showing off their dancing skills. She smiled proudly before approaching them. She tapped Joseph on the shoulder gently, smirking as he whipped around to look at her.

"Mind if I cut in?" She giggled.

Joseph chuckled, "You could do that...or we could share and REALLY give these people a show!"

"I LIKE that idea!" Austin cackled, before grabbing Justine by the hand and pulling her into the dance. The crowd cheered as he managed to lead both Joseph and Justine at the same time, and as he and Joseph took turns leading Justine.

Justine beamed at the boys. Maybe she wasn't quite as experienced as they were, but she knew enough to be able to follow, and she had two amazing partners. As she danced around the open space within the circle, she got an idea of how to fix the last item of her 'Bring Bastian Back' plan. She'd need the help of Austin, Joseph, and the other warblers, but this could work. After beer pong, she'd set her plan in motion.

The trio bowed to their audience as the song finished. Before another song could start, Justine quickly grabbed Austin and pulled him off the dance floor.

"Just?" Austin exclaimed, startled at his fiancee's insistence, "Where are you taking me? What's happening? Is something wrong?"

"We're going to find Bastian." Justine explained, "I got him out of his private corner pity party about two hours ago. I'm trying to prove to him that he can do all the same shit he always does, chair be damned. The next thing for him to accomplish is getting his ass kicked by you in beer pong. While I went to get you off the dance floor, he was gonna try to find a table low enough that he can reach it from his chair. We don't find him soon, he'll think I ditched him, and that tortoise is gonna pull his thick skulled head right back into his shell and I'm gonna have to start at square one of yanking him back out."

Austin was speechless. He had no idea Justine cared so much about Bastian. Granted, he knew Justine couldn't really hate his friend as much as she pretended to, but it surprised him that out of all the warblers here, SHE was the one able to get Bastian back out there. It warmed his heart to see the effort she was making. THIS was why he loved her so much. If there was ever a doubt in his head that she was the right person for him (which there never was), this would have eliminated it. He pulled them both to a stop and turned Justine to face him, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her lovingly on the lips. He felt her startle for a second, before relaxing into his embrace and kissing back sweetly. Her hand came up to cradle his cheek. When the kiss ended, he pulled away only slightly, nuzzling their noses together and looking into her eyes. He smiled at her. "Have I told you lately how perfect you are, or just how INSANELY much I love you?"

Justine sighed contently, "You tell me everyday, but I will never get tired of hearing you say it. Why?"

Austin chuckled, "It's just...it means the world me that, even though you're jealous of Bastian sometimes, you are going through such effort to help him. I know you're not doing it FOR me...but you both are insanely important in my life, and I love see you two getting along so well. So...thank you for that. For being YOU, the amazing, tenderhearted, loving woman that I can't WAIT to call my wife!"

Justine chuckled and kissed the end of Austin's nose, "I will put hot sauce in your underwear if you tell ANYONE I said this...but he means something to me too. Bast and I...we have a love-hate relationship, even if what people see is mostly the hate side. We're...like brother and sister. We bicker and fight and huff and tease not IN SPITE of loving each other, but BECAUSE we love each other. It's a way of showing we care. So, you're right, I'm NOT doing this for you. It's for you, me, him, and ALL the Warblers. We're family, and we take care of each other. I want Bastian back to his same old, annoying self soon...because this no-hope-mope thing he's doing is weird and WRONG!"

Austin nodded and smiled, "Let's go find him then. It's about time we got our brother back!"

They hurried through the club, quickly spotting Bastian being helped up into a higher chair by Otthan, while Malcolm and Mitch were setting up the table in front of him for beer pong. They all seemed ecstatic to have the old Bastian back again. Soon other warblers gathered around from their various places in the club, eager to watch the competition.

Bastian looked up and saw Gidiaz approaching. He smirked brightly, "Ready to LOSE, Diaz?"

Austin laughed and slipped off his jacket, handing it to Justine to hold, taking his place opposite Bastian "In your DREAMS Nolan!"

Bastian cackled, "THAT'S what I like to hear! Now I expect your A-game here, Austin. No fair holding back because of my unfortunate circumstances."

Austin smiled warmly, happy to hear his friend being lighthearted about his chair. It was a good sign that this return of their Bastian wasn't a one-night-only engagement. "Fair enough," He called across the table, "As long as you do the same! Don't even TRY to deny it Bas! I KNOW you always let me win, and I am saying no more of that! Tonight, we play for REAL! I'm a big boy now and I can kick your ass fair and square."

Bastian blushed. He hadn't thought it was THAT obvious, but if both Austin and Justine could tell he'd been phoning it in, then he was not as good an actor as he thought. He smiled softly at Austin. "Fine! No mercy for either side. It is HARDCORE on! You think you can handle it, lover boy?"

Austin snorted, "Bring it, pretty boy!"

"Consider it BROUGHT!" Bastian called, emphasizing his words by bouncing one of his balls off the table. It arched perfectly and landed in the cup dead in front of Austin, splashing up on him a little. The warblers, including Austin and Justine, gaped at him. Bastian smirked, "Last chance to back out, babycakes?"

Austin glared softly, lifting the cup and chugging it down. "Kiss my ass, Romeo!"

"With PLEASURE!" Bastian purred. He looked to Justine and quickly continued before she could object, "HOWEVER, I doubt that would sit well with you lovely fiancee, and while I may not currently be fully functional below the belt, I would like to keep my genitalia intact!"

Justine smirked and flipped him off playfully. She'd let that one slide...for now. It meant that her plan was working, and soon Bastian would be back to his usual, insufferable self!

Austin landed a ball in Bastian's cup...and then Bastian in Austin's...and then Austin missed...and Bastian landed another one...and then Austin landed two in a row...while Bastian missed two in a row. It went on like this for half an hour before Austin was declared the winner, fair and square. Bastian, while definitely a little bit over buzzed, was still functional in his drunkenness. Still, the warblers all stayed close to him, just to be safe.

"I taught you far to well." Bast smiled at Austin, "The student has surpassed the master."

"I learned from more than just you." Austin smirked, "Those UK college guys do NOT mess around!"

Bastian nodded, "I feel the urge to make some sort of crack like Kim always does about weird foreigners or wimpy Americans...but he does it better than I ever could...mostly because it sounds even wittier when he says it in Swedish and we all have no idea what the fuck he said."

Justine laughed at the randomness, "Ok! It's official! You are DRUNK!"

"Not deeply so," Bastian mused, "But was there ever a doubt I was, my dear lady?"

"Nope! I can smell it on your breath!" She giggled, waving away the stench wafting to her mellow dramatically. "Two words Mr. Tomato Head: 'Breath' and 'Mint'! Good Grief! THIS is why I stick to the sweet stuff!"

The Warblers all laughed before all except Bastian looked to each other and nodded. Justine had filled them in on her plan as the beer pong game was going, and now was the time to put it into action. Joseph and Austin each grabbed a handle on Bastian's wheelchair and pushed him towards the dance floor, with the warblers all following.

"Wha...Justine?!" Bastian exclaimed, "where are we going?"

"To complete the final step of my plan." The diva grinned, "you, Mr. Nolan, are going to get your neon ass out there and show the dipshits in this bar who is boss on that dance floor."

"But it's to crowded!" Bastian argued, "I won't be able to MOVE, much less DANCE! My chair will get tipped, or I'll run over someone's foot..."

"Leave that to us." Otto grinned.

"Ya." Nate nodded "our dearest diva has a plan of how we all can make this work."

Bastian was about to object...before noticing they were already on the floor...and no one was near him. He looked around to see the warblers smiling at him, forming a human tunnel for him to roll through, allowing him a clear path to the center of the dance floor. Once he got there, they all shifted shape and made a ring around him, Justine, Austin, and Joseph. Some more people, upon seeing Austin and Joseph, joined the human wall and started grooving along with the warblers, remembering the amazing spectacle they'd been treated to earlier

"Now you have plenty of space to show off." Joseph smiled down at him.

Austin nodded, "And don't even TRY telling me you don't know how to dance in that thing. I have seen you practicing tricks, and even if all you do is roll in circles, with us here with you, you'll look awesome no matter what."

"Plus, no one in warblers is gonna give a crap as long as you're having fun." Justine smirked, glaring playfully at him, "So pull that old, obnoxious Bastian Nolan confidence back outta your pants and let's DANCE!"

Bastian could only gape in shock for a second before a wolfish grin spread across his face "I really am one lucky fucker!" He laughed, "Alright! Watch your feet and I'll show you what this sucker can do!"

With that, he popped a wheelie and rolled around on his back wheels. Justine danced behind him, bumping him forward a little with her hips when he started getting too far back. Austin and Joseph did a sort of catch-throw dance to mimic their movement. All together, they looked really cool.

Bastian leaned forward and landed on his four wheels again, going into the "Rock the boat". Justine jumped back so he wouldn't land on her feet. She smiled at the truly joyous laughter bubbling up from him. She'd never admit how much she'd missed that sound.

Austin and Joseph swing-danced to the beat of the music and Bastian's rocking. The crowd cheered them all on. Justine watched her lover, impressed by his skills. She'd have to practice so she'd be able to join him sometime soon.

Suddenly, she felt an arm around her waist and squeaked as she was pulled backwards into someone's lap. She looked behind her and saw Bastian beaming at her.

"Thank you Justine." He said as he rolled her around the floor, speaking just loud enough for her alone to hear him over the music, "Thank you for getting me the hell out of my head."

Justine simply nodded. She knew then that she had done the right thing. She had made the right choice pulling the older Nolan from his sulking point in the corner. As much as he drove her crazy, Justine loved Bastian for who he was. She'd never admit it to anyone else, and would slaughter Bas if he ever told the others, but she had missed having him be like this. She was the tigress and he was her tortoise, and she wouldn't ever want it any other way.

* * *

 **And there you have it! The first installment of what will hopefully be an epic series! Please feel free to send me any prompts of things you'd like to see. I will of course have to run them by Eraman to receive the blessing of the Goddess, but there is a good chance you could see your request get written!**

 **Until next time my little darlings, HAPPY NEW YEARS!**


	2. Painting The Battle Scars

**Hey y'all! Hope you enjoyed the first installment of the** **series! If so, there are plenty more in the works where that came from. If not...I don't really understand why you're still reading then, but I hope that this next one will be better for you.**

 **Alrighty then! This next installment takes place DIRECTLY after the Natch make-up make-out at the end of "Could We Start Again?" in the LBW story. It involves a SLIGHT AU element in which Bastian came to be there when they thought Mitch was gonna die and stayed to help handle the fallout afterwards. It also makes reference to some installments that will come later in the series, so if you're confused at all, you can either message me and ask about it or just wait until it comes up in a later chapter.**

 **And now, without further ado, our story, this time prompted by me!**

 **Hallescomet prompt: After the Mitch suicide disaster is over and everyone knows about her cutting, Bastian takes Justine aside and asks to see her scars. When she shows him, he takes out body paint markers/a henna tattoo kit and doodles/writes over all of them.**

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"Bastian! Slow down! I am going to trip trying to keep up with you in these heels!" Justine squeaked as the former warbler dragged her down the Dalton corridor, away from where everyone else was gathered in the library after Nathan had serenaded Mitch in apology and mended their relationship. "Where are you taking me anyway?"

"Somewhere private." Bastian said softly "Now that Natch is back together, there is something else important that needs to be taken care of."

Justine startled at Bastian's solemn tone. He was usually such a jokester. Every other word out of his mouth was some sort of teasing remark. To hear him speak so seriously to her was strange and slightly frightening. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, when Bastian suddenly pulled her into the empty warbler commons, shutting and locking the door behind them with a key he'd clearly borrowed from Austin. He then pulled her down gently to sit on the couch with him. Justine noticed his art supplies were laid out on the coffee table before them. What was going on here?

"Justine..." Bastian whispered, causing her to look up into his eyes, which looked pained as they stared dead back into hers. "Austin and Mitch...they...I know...about everything."

Justine was confused, "About what? Me dating Austin? The Natch disaster? Bast, EVERYONE knows about that."

"No..." Bastian sighed "I know about...before that. What led to those things..." He reached down and rested a gentle hand on her arm, "And what led to THAT."

Justine was even more confused. What was he...and then it hit her. She gasped, feeling her heart and stomach drop. He couldn't mean... She shook her head, pulling her arm away, "No...you can't know..."

"But I do." Bastian soothed softly, reaching up to thumb away some of the tears that had started to form in her eyes, "Mitch and Austin saw the black hair dye I used to help you do your hair and thought I already knew it all...and they told me everything before they realized I didn't. After that I did some digging of my own and...Justine...I...really don't know what to say. I should've seen THEN that you were hurting like that. I...I should've done SOMETHING to help you..."

"You did!" Justine assured quickly, still trying to catch her train of thought, "I...I came to you for help with my hair. You asked me, like, twenty times why I was doing it. I pushed you away. You tried to help me and you did by helping do my hair. You helped me on a path towards what I thought would make me feel better. You couldn't have done more then because I wasn't ready to let you."

"Are you ready now?" Bastian asked.

"I...what?" Justine jolted.

"I want to help you heal more NOW." Bastian smiled softly "That is...if you're ready to let me. Do you trust me Justine?"

Justine swallowed hard and thought only a moment before nodding. Bastian was one of her warbler brothers, and if she couldn't trust them, there was no one she could.

Bastian nodded and held out his hand, "May I see your arms?"

Justine nodded and lay her arms in his grasp, trying to resist the urge to flinch or pull away when he rolled up her sleeves to reveal her scars. She winced looking at them all...especially the one going down instead of across. The one her mother had made. The one that could've killed her.

Bastian hissed in sympathy and shook his head. He looked at her and smirked sadly, trying to lighten the mood with his usual teasing. "Well! This simply won't do at all! Such ugly, hateful marks have no place on such a beautiful, loving woman."

Justine managed a small smiled at his words. "Hush up, you neon numbskull..."

Bastian chuckled back, before turning more serious again, "It's true you know? You are an amazing human being Justine. If that BITCH can't see that...well then screw her up the ass with a barbwire stake!"

Justine laughed heartily at that, shaking her head, "Such LANGUAGE Mr. Nolan!"

Bastian nodded, happy that he seemed to be cheering his sister up. "You're welcome. Now, let's see if I can't work a little magic on these marks." He reached over and grabbed a paint brush, dipping it in some green paint.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Justine asked, only mildly concerned.

"Don't worry. It's body paint" Bastian assured, "It should start to come off in a few days, and I also mixed it with some stuff that should help the scars start to fade faster."

Justine was speechless. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. She watched mutely as Bastian started painting intricate designs over her scars, using the natural lines in his work in order to hide them among the art. The paint was cold against her skin, but it felt good, and actually helped get rid of the itching of healing skin that had been plaguing her for a long time now. Each color blended across her skin, turning ugly scabs and scars to gorgeous artwork under Bastian's talented hand.

"Thank you." She finally whispered.

"Don't thank me" Bastian smiled softly, "It is an honor that you are even letting me see your war wounds, let alone allowing me to work on them like this."

"War wounds?" Justine snorted, "Don't I need to be a soldier and have survived some sort of..."

"Attack, battle, tragedy, violence, evil." Bastian supplied solemnly, "All of the above, you did. What your mother...gah, it burns my tongue to even CALL her that now...what THAT WOMAN and her cult goonies did to you qualifies. After that, what they led you to do to yourself qualifies too. You fought Justine, and you've been fighting for a long time. I can see it in your eyes." He ran a finger gently down the one scar going the wrong direction, "While this is a reminder of what they did to you, the fact that I'm seeing it also means that YOU SURVIVED Justine! You are STILL HERE and STILL YOU! You fought and you survived that walk through hell. You didn't let them break you."

Justine scoffed, "Oh ya? Then what do you call the rest of them?"

"Still battle scars," Bastian said simply, "against all the disgusting ideas that bitch put in your head. You were fighting, and maybe sometimes you went down for a bit, but you got back up. These scars are FADING, Justine, because YOU STOPPED. Unless Mitch is wrong, you haven't cut since they day of the kiss that started it all. You survived this battle Justine. You are still here, still standing tall, and even though the war may not be over yet, if you keep getting better and stay clean off cutting, I think it's safe to assume it will be soon, and you will have WON! And someday, hopefully all these scars will be faded to the point where you won't even notice them, much like the memories of what caused them"

Justine bit her lip hard, trying not to cry as she processed Bastian's words. "Thanks." She choked out.

Bastian nodded, "And the best part is you don't have to fight alone anymore. You have your dad and stepmom to help you, as well as all your warbler brothers and other Dalton friends and OF COURSE Trixie! If you EVER feel like that again, any of us is only a phone call, text, or short walk away."

Justine smiled and nodded. "I'll call you guys...I promise."

Bastian grinned, "Good. And now...I think I'm done!"

Justine looked down. The designs were simple, but beautiful, and she couldn't see the scars unless she REALLY looked. Bastian had used all her favorite colors. She giggled and looked at him. "I love it Bastian!"

Bastian laughed, "I'm glad! Don't know what I'd do if you didn't! Now, while we wait for the paint to dry, let's talk about something else VERY important!"

Justine gulped, "And that would be..."

Bastian grinned, "What color should I dye my hair NEXT?"

The two spent the next hour or so laughing and discussing Bastian's hair, the crazy stuff that had happened to him in college life, Justine's latest designs, Austin, and the warbler's amusing antics so far this year. When Justine left, Bastian stayed behind to clean up the art supplies. Justine smiled brightly, the sleeves of her shirt and blazer rolled down to conceal the art on her arms. No one else needed to see it but her and Bastian...and Mitch...and possibly Austin. But other than those two, no one else. And even THEY would never find out what was said in that room. That would stay firmly between the tigress and the tortoise.

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 **There you go! Hope you liked this installment of the story! Let me know what you think and what you'd like to see! And yes, this is my shameless plea for reviews. I sincerely wanna hear your feedback!**

 **Until next time my lovelies!**


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